Windows 7: Accidentally created folder with name <space> / ASCII 32. Can't delete

Hello
In windows we cannot rename a folder to " " or <space>. it won't accept the name. I was just wondering about that. so tried a script to create folder with ascii 32 code. The folder was created, but now i am stuck with it. I can not delete/rename it. On trying to delete/rename it shows "Folder in use by some other process" error.

The folder i created is on desktop
"C:\Users\<User name>\Desktop"

If i open it, the path changes to
"C:\Users\<User name>\Desktop\ "
But the contents shown are same of the parent folder. Only difference is anything cannot be accessed from here.

The issue should not related to any permissions because i haven't touched them.
I have attached some screenshots here.

If anyone can help..Thanks a lot.

Hi,

Well you could try restoring the system back to before you created the folder.

https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html

Failing that follow this tutorial:

https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/55721-folder-delete-command-prompt.html

If that fails you could try a program like Unlocker:

http://www.emptyloop.com/unlocker/

One of these methods should work for you :)

cheers

Dave

Try Unlocker

It's good to have anyway.

What does it look like from a Elevated Command Prompt?

You should be able to delete the offending folder using Linux.

Can you get access to a Live Linux CD/DVD (e.g. Ubuntu or Linux Mint)?

You could also create your own disc or USB stick.
Linux is free to download and use.
http://www.ubuntu.com/download
http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

ok guys..the problem is solved. Thanks everyone. After successfully deleting the folder, i went on experimenting (of course on my data partition, not on the desktop folder)

The system restore did not solve the problem.
Most probable reason may be, it restores system files. and this folder was on <user>\desktop\
Neither the command prompt method worked.

Exporer Method:
What i did was. Moved all other files to another location.
then i tried to delete the parent folder. (<user>\desktop). and its gone.


But the important implication is of this method is, you have to delete parent folder.
what if i created it on root of my hard disk/ or inside some system folder??


Unlocker method:
I had used Unlocker many a times. But the portable version which i had stopped working without any reason.I don't know why that happened.(even with antivirus disabled). I downloaded installer version and that went well.

for experiment, i created "E:\a\b\c\d\<space>"

Unlocker shows, 3 to 4 explorer.exe handles having lock on this. If we simply unlock, and try to delete "E:\a\b\c\d\<space>" from windows explorer , even the parent folder "d" gets deleted along with it.

But if u Unlock & delete from unlocker, then only "E:\a\b\c\d\<space>" gets deleted.


I think this is kind of a bug in windows, creating such folder is not allowed from windows itself. But if u can manage to create such folder, it causes strange issues like circular entries, access error etc..


Thanks everyone for great ideas and help.

Glad your sorted. :)

Please mark the thread as solved.

cheers

Dave

Another way to get at things ordinarily locked by the system is using RunIt

It's just a convenient way to access the Run Once in the Registry. I used it often to run a program that deleted all index.dat files on my system. Ordinarily index.dat files are locked by the system. But the program launched by RunIt is executed before logon.

Be sure to download from the Softpedia download link. My old web site is down. But a friend has offered me web space. I hope to get a page of some sort back up in a month or so. I need to get a laptop to work/program with in the interim.